Chapter 4 #3
Clem was impressed with the food they put away in the hour that followed, and as she served their table, she found out more than she’d expected to. Sebastian kept an amused ear out too.
‘Not only does Hawkins like blondes, he’s a whiz in the kitchen, too gentlemanly for his own good, and he doesn’t kiss and tell, no matter how often they try to catch him out,’ Sebastian told Clem and Kev as they prepped the next batch of catering for South Giddi Giddi.
‘He can’t be that much of a saint if he’s letting them ride around in the freezing cold, drinking their body weight in wine.’ Kev frowned, chopping his way through the enormous leeks Brian Treloar had dropped off that morning.
‘Just a little squiffy,’ Madeleine said, waving off his concerns when she paid the bill. ‘I’ve cycled home from Liverpool boozers in far worse weather, with way more Prosecco under my belt.’
Icy wind gusted into the cafe as they filed out, adding to Clem’s unease.
They’re grown women, they can make their own decisions.
‘I bet there’s plenty that goes on behind the scenes,’ Kev continued. ‘Surprised the cameras aren’t following and filming as they let their hair down. Look at them, a gut full of food hasn’t soaked up all that grog. That short one’s certainly not fit to be on the road.’
Clem looked up from the mushrooms she was dicing. Kyra was the shortest by a head, had been the tipsiest during their lunch, and when she failed not once but twice to throw a leg over her bicycle, Clem knew she had to step in and offer them a lift.
‘I’m headed there anyway,’ Clem insisted when the ladies protested.
‘And Sebastian drives past the winery tour headquarters every morning and night, he’ll drop the bikes and helmets back on his way home.
You’ll be soaking wet in ten minutes flat,’ she added, pointing to the heavy grey clouds thudding across the sky.
It was the only responsible option, Clem told herself as she drove out of town. Nothing to do with scoring brownie points with Spencer Hawkins or snatching extra snippets of gossip to share later with Hazel and Mia.
‘You liking the show?’
She directed her question to Emily, the oldest and most sober of the three contestants.
‘It’s not exactly a walk in the park,’ Emily replied. ‘Harder than I expected.’
Emily was also the prettiest contestant, with the type of grace and self-assuredness Clem found annoying.
The type that came from growing up in homes with overflowing fridges, fancy school uniforms, endless shopping trips.
Being born into families that had professional photos taken every year, more overseas holidays than you could poke a stick at and parents who gave cars as eighteenth birthday gifts.
‘That’s because you’re used to being pursued, not the other way around,’ Madeleine called from the back seat. ‘Life’s tough when men are intimidated by your family’s huge farm!’
‘Maddy!’ Kyra giggled.
‘It doesn’t make life as easy as you’d imagine,’ Emily retorted dryly. ‘But I’ve worked hard, like my parents and my grandparents before them. And Spencer’s different, he’s not after our orchards, like half the blokes I meet. He’s deeper than that.’
‘Deeply fuckable.’ There was a giggle and then a hiccup from the back seat, which led to more raucous laughter.
The sight of another lady in the driveway sparked a flurry of discussion when Clem pulled up at South Giddi Giddi. She’d met Spencer’s sister the weekend before, delivering the first catering order, and the tipsy trio craned their necks trying to get a clearer look.
‘Who’s that? Not more contestants?’ Kyra groaned, peering out the window.
‘That’s Spencer’s sister, you idiot,’ said Emily, rolling her eyes. ‘You need to sober up fast, before the camera crew get a hold of you.’
The contestants made a beeline for the house.
‘Big day?’ Addison asked, her lips twitching as she greeted Clem.
‘What happens on the Rail Trail, stays on the Rail Trail.’ Clem grinned. ‘I was coming this way anyway, and the rain was threatening.’
‘And now your Jeep smells like vino, instead of your divine cooking.’
‘It could have been worse,’ Clem joked, accepting Addison’s offer to help carry the catering boxes inside.
‘I love everything Adelaide has on the gourmet scene, but there’s something about small-batch cooking. Let me guess, this is a much-loved recipe handed down from your grandmother or something like that?’ Addison examined the smallest box in her arms.
‘Yep, these are from my Aunty Jean’s cookbook. The vegan version needs a little tweaking, but the crew gobbled them up yesterday. How were things here today?’
‘I think everyone needed the break,’ Addison admitted.
‘Last night’s family dinner was intense, even worse than trying to bake in front of a video camera while grilling each contestant about her intentions towards my little brother.
A few days is enough for me. I don’t know how Louisa and Ian manage it, let alone Spence.
What a way to spend his long-service leave. ’
As if summoned, Spencer barrelled through the door and jogged down the verandah steps. ‘There are going to be some sore heads tomorrow morning,’ he said, assessing the boxes in Clem and Addison’s arms. ‘Need a hand?’
He might be great with teenagers, Shakespeare and school concerts, but the dark circles under his eyes and his weary smile suggested he was way out of his depth in this romantic experiment.
‘All good,’ Clem said, catching sight of Emily waving from the house. ‘But I think someone wants a word.’
She noticed his long exhale when he turned to see Emily beckoning him over. Dolly bounded across the lawn. Was it just Clem’s imagination, or had he looked happier to see the beagle, and even to see her, than he was to see the beautiful—if slightly tipsy—lady on his doorstep?
‘They make a nice-looking couple,’ Clem said brightly, watching his slow walk.
It was factually true. His strong shoulders, fair hair and handsome looks paired nicely with Emily’s dusty blonde curls and similarly tall build, but the more Clem saw them together, the more she wondered if their bond was as strong as the other girls thought.
‘He deserves to find love again, even if it’s with the rest of the country watching on,’ Addison said.
‘And do you think he has?’
‘They’re good odds. Though Madeleine said something about moving back to the UK if Spencer was agreeable, and Kyra has a phobia of moths and wasps. She says she’s fine with bees, but it doesn’t bode well, if you ask me.’
Clem nodded thoughtfully. ‘So Emily’s the frontrunner?
She seems the most legitimately rural one too.
I thought it was all a ratings scam,’ she admitted, ‘and I may have been a bit judgy about reality TV in general, but I’m smart enough to admit when I’m wrong, and I’ll happily eat my hat if that’s the case. ’
She turned to see Addison’s quirked eyebrow.
‘Don’t bite into your good Akubra just yet.
Emily’s perfect for program ratings. She’s smart, confident and she talks like she’s swallowed a farming dictionary.
I’ve heard more about crop rotations, rain forecasts and soil temperatures this week than I have in the decade or so since Spencer moved to the Limestone Coast. And I love her passion for the industry, she’s the real deal.
But is she perfect for our Spence? And is there a genuine connection, or is it all just a hype-fest from the producers?
’ Addison shrugged. ‘That remains to be seen.’
While she hadn’t set out to fish for information, and she still didn’t have a good read on Spencer, Clem couldn’t help feeling a little happy that things weren’t perfect between him and Emily.
Spencer felt wary as he followed Emily through the house. She wasn’t three sheets to the wind, like Kyra and Madeleine seemed to be, but there was determination in her stride. He didn’t have to turn to know the footsteps behind them were the camera crew, jostling into position.
Louisa called out from the kitchen, her cheerful greeting falling away as Emily reached for his hand and continued down the hallway without pausing. ‘I want to say this before I chicken out,’ she said over her shoulder, tugging him into the office.
He went to close the door behind them before remembering the show rules. Microphones on and cameras rolling unless you’re naked.
Spencer felt on edge.
‘I’m sorry about earlier,’ Emily said, laying a hand on his chest. ‘I like you so much Spencer, and I’m sick of sharing you.
I can see great potential here at South Giddi Giddi.
Little things the other contestants wouldn’t even notice, and big opportunities to expand the market for your honey, get more lambs on the ground and upscale your tiny orchard.
I can recommend some fabulous almond varieties. ’
Her eyes had an intensity to them, like she could see it all mapped out with GPS-precision, reinforcing Spencer’s feeling that he was the least farmer-y farmer on this show.
‘Off the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you how many lambs we averaged over the last three winters, that’s been more Ian’s department than mine. Like I said at the start, the producers are ramping up the rural aspect beyond my normal routine.’
Emily waved away the comment. ‘After today, it’s even more important that we talk about a family.
I’m getting too old to play the softly, softly game regarding kids, and I get that vibe from you too.
I’ll be perfectly frank, after the conversations I’ve had today, I can tell you the other girls are years away from that. ’
Spencer felt his breath catch at the fierce strength and truth in her words. Family was something he wanted, and it seemed Emily was as keen as he was. Maybe she was right; maybe she really was the best choice for him.